Rockets found buried on Pursat school grounds

Students at Kngan Secondary School and local authorities have found unexploded rockets buried in the ground at the school in Pursat province’s Svay Loung commune.

But An, chief of weapons management with Kandeang district police, said yesterday that 141 unexploded rockets were found buried in the ground at the school on Saturday and Sunday. “On February 10, we found 48 unexploded rockets and then authorities and the Halo Trust organisation destroyed them more than one kilometre away from the school,” he said.

“On February 11, we went to search again and found another 93 unexploded rockets in the same place, so that is 141 rockets in total.”

As of yesterday, authorities and the Halo Trust organisation destroyed nearly 90 rockets, while the remaining 52 were kept at the Kandieng district police office to be destroyed in the near future.

No one was injured during the discovery or the destruction of the rockets.

“This is the first time we have found unexploded ordnance left from the war,” said Mr An. “The location was an old military barracks in the past.” Since 1979, a total of 64,720 casualties have been recorded by the Cambodia Mine/ERW Victim Information System.

According to a Cambodian Mine Action Authority report released last month, there were 39 accidents in 2017, a decrease of 46 percent if compared with the 72 cases in 2016.

The report added that of the 39 incidents, 20 cases were mine explosions and 19 were explosive remnants of war.

When combined, these resulted in 58 casualties, a decrease of 30 percent compared to the 83 casualties in 2016.

The 6th Annual Tiger Street Football Festival 2018 continues this Sunday in Poipet city in what promises to be another dazzling display of intense futsal action and a fun superstar after-games party with performers and DJs.